It Was America’s First Superhighway. Now Much of It Sits Abandoned.

But the Pennsylvania Turnpike hasn't been completely forgotten.

Known at the time as “America’s Super Highway,” the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940 as the first limited-access highway in the country. Considered state of the art, it served as a model for the Interstate Highway System and other freeways. But the road’s popularity resulted in miles-long backups at its tunnels. (The turnpike was also known as the “tunnel highway” because it traversed seven tunnels.) To alleviate congestion, two additional tunnels were bored. Eventually, a 13-mile stretch of the turnpike was abandoned in favor of a more modern bypass that opened in 1968. But the old highway has not been completely forgotten. It’s been used as a roadway test site and a movie location. Not officially open to the public, it is popular with bikers, hikers and explorers.

Traffic used to back up for miles outside the Sideling Hill Tunnel, which narrows to one lane in each direction.

Large ventilation fans once kept carbon monoxide levels safe for motorists in the tunnels.

A bicyclist pauses after passing through the Rays Hill Tunnel.

The road surface is slowly being reclaimed by vegetation.

This farm, which is adjacent to the abandoned stretch of the turnpike, is no longer subjected to the roar of turnpike traffic.

While the transportation industry is pushing Congress to pass a new infrastructure plan, a Brown University economist warns that new construction might not get the bang-for-the-buck that proponents claim.